Computer Detected To Be Corrupted – a fake pop-up that informs about blocked computer

Computer Detected To Be Corrupted is a technical support scam that aims to trick users into calling fake Microsoft technicians to unblock the computer. The fake message appears on the compromised website. Typically, users encounter it after adware[1] infiltration which is capable of opening various websites on the affected web browser.
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Name | Computer Detected To Be Corrupted |
| Type | Adware |
| Purpose of the infection | Trick people into calling fake Microsoft support line |
| Used phone number | (866) 288-3379 |
| Affected OS | Windows |
| Symptoms | Browser redirects to fake Microsoft/Windows websites, security pop-ups, virus alerts, crashing and freezing web browser |
| Distribution method | Software bundles |
| To uninstall Computer Detected To Be Corrupted, install FortectIntego and run a full system scan | |
Computer Detected To Be Corrupted virus is not dangerous itself. The ad-supported application can only modify Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge settings. As a result, users might notice lots of suspicious pop-ups and suffer from redirects to tech support or other shady sites.
However, the main activity of this cyber threat is to trick users that Computer Detected To Be Corrupted alert is legitimate and make them call fake technicians. When users end up on a compromised website, they receive the following message:
“EROR 268D3 Warning: COMPUTER DETECTED TO BE CORRUPTED & UNRECOVERABLE. CALL SPECIALIST MICROSOFT HELP DESK AT TOLL FREE (866) 288-3379
Windows Detected Potential Threats On Your Computer.
Windows Security Essentials was unable to block the virus. Windows detected several potential threats that will compromise your privacy and heart your computer.
Error Code: 0x8024402c, Windows couldn't install the definition updated. More Information & Support Please Contract (866) 288-3379.”- stated in an appearing message.
Security specialists from Bedynet.ru[2] report that crooks might use a bunch of different phone numbers to talk with potential victims. However, you should never rush calling. This call might be expensive or cyber criminals might swindle your money, trick into installing fake security software or remote access tools, or try to obtain your personal information.
We want to stress out that this message has no relation to Windows or Microsoft Corporation. The company does not provide security alerts on unknown websites and does not offer phone support line for regular computer users. Therefore, you need to close browser tab with Computer Detected To Be Corrupted scam website. If the website freezes the browser or you cannot close the tab, please force-quit the browser.
If redirects to this site continue, you need to remove Computer Detected To Be Corrupted adware and related programs as soon as you notice questionable activity on your browser. This unwanted program can also be associated with those intrusive ads you get as soon as you click on a link in your browser.
Computer Detected To Be Corrupted removal is important because those redirects, pop-up[3] ads and other content created by the adware itself can lead to other infections. We recommend you to use anti-malware tools for the proper removal of this type of adware. For example, you can use the certified and legitimate tool FortectIntego.

Adware which is responsible for redirects to technical support scam website spread in software bundles
This potentially unwanted program usually infiltrates the system without users consent. Developers use bundling technique and pack these programs with freeware. When you choose Custom or Advanced options during insecure download processes you can see these “optional downloads” and de-select them.
Although, if you skip those steps, you get additional programs that cause unwanted activities on your browser and computer. Therefore, you should never rush through installation. Additionally, you should never rely on Quick/Standard installation because this setup does not let seeing what additional apps are spreading in the same software bundle
Remove Computer Detected To Be Corrupted virus from your web browser
It is crucial for your computer system’s safety to delete these PUPs immediately. Computer Detected To Be Corrupted removal can be overwhelming, but it is possible and recommended to do. You need to have up and running anti-malware program and make a full system scan.
Additionally, you can try to remove Computer Detected To Be Corrupted adware and all its related components manually. In order to do so, you have to uninstall suspicious programs from Windows system, get rid of questionable browser extensions and reset the browser. You can find detailed guide below.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.

- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

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